1 TIPS FROM OUR BEST: UVic Award Winning Teachers Elsie Chan UVic Alumni Association Award Winner, 2000 Orientation for All New Instructors Tuesday, September 5, 2000 University of Victoria, Learning and Teaching Centre

2 As teachers, we need to:  Recognize good teaching qualities.  Develop those qualities  Maintain those qualities throughout our teaching careers

3 Passion  Is an inner desire expressed – it comes from within (inner) and cannot be hidden (expressed).  Cannot be dictated or commanded.  Is provides energy, focus/intensity, persistence, and leads to excellence.  Is the energy that moves students from within.  Is necessary to achieve success and satisfaction. Only function is possible without passion.  Moves instructors to teach out of love, regardless of expectations, and/or requirements. Result: Students are inspired to draw upon all their energy and talents. Students are motivated to keep moving toward their goals.

4 Mutual Respect  Treat opinions and questions with respect.  Understand one another's perspective.  Seek mutual understanding.  Listen without judgement.  Value differences  Take into account the weaknesses of students. Result: A respectful, diplomatic, and humble learning environment.

5 Understanding and Listening  Sense students' feelings and perspectives and take an active interest in their concerns.  Practice active listening - listen with respect and an open mind, listen without judgement.  Be sensitive to students' different needs - i.e. the needs of mature students versus the needs of younger students.  Seek first to understand others and then to be understood.  Empathize with students learning the material for the first time: put yourself in their place and acknowledge their struggles. Result: Teachers are able to discover what students do and don’t know, and why they don’t know the course material. The teachers can then help students to learn the material effectively. “Nobody cares what you know until they know that you care.”

6 Communication  Listen well and deeply; practice active listening.  Seek mutual understanding.  Welcome hearing of information fully.  Deal with difficult issues in astraightforward manner. Result: A solid teacher-student relationship is established; one where information flows smoothly and questions are encouraged.

7 Integrity  Is the foundation of trust.  Is essential to cooperation and long-term personal and interpersonal growth.  Is partly honesty telling the truth (conforming our words to reality).  Is keeping promises and fulfilling expectations (conforming reality to our words).  Requires an integrated character - a oneness with self and with life.  Is demonstrated by being loyal to those who are not present.  Means treating everyone by the same set of principles.  Means avoiding any communication that is deceptive. Result: An enhanced learning process is created because students trust that the teacher won’t betray them and vice versa.

8 Evaluations  Observe and praise the progress (effort), record performance and redirect efforts that are off-base.  shows use where are now.  Tell us whether we are heading toward our goal(s).  Allow us to make improvements along the way.  Apply to both instructors and students.  Are encouraged by constructive comments and reasons for comments, as well as words of encouragement. Result: Students and teachers learn from each other and mistakes get corrected.

9 Set Clear Boundaries  Empower people to act on their best attribute when the boundaries are set within the guidelines above  Are related to clear expectations.  Require maintenance. Result: A fair environment where mutual respect and understanding flourish is created.